1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contents reproduction apparatus, a contents reproduction method, and a contents reproduction program, which are desirably employed in, for example, an audio reproduction apparatus that reproduces music contents stored in an external memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are being diffused audio reproduction apparatuses which, in addition to reading out and reproducing music contents stored in a storage medium such as a music Compact Disc (CD), read out and reproduce contents files being music contents of a Motion Picture Expert Group-1 Layer-3 (MP3) format etc. written in a Compact Disc-Recordable (CD-R) using a personal computer etc. by a user.
Among audio reproduction apparatuses, there are some which are provided with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and read out and reproduce contents files from a flash memory of a USB connection type (that is, USB memory) which is used as an external storage medium for a personal computer.
Especially, in recent years, there are suggested portable audio reproduction apparatuses which have loaded therein a small-sized hard disc drive, a large capacity flash memory, etc. and can store contents files of, for example, several hundreds to several thousands pieces of music.
Audio reproduction apparatuses are configured such that, in case such a portable audio reproduction apparatus is connected through the USB interface, dealing with the portable audio reproduction apparatus as a mere storage medium similar to a USB memory, contents files stored in the portable audio reproduction apparatus can be read out to be reproduced.
It is considered that the convenience is enhanced in case an audio reproduction apparatus forms a contents list in which all the contents files are re-arrayed depending on the title names or artist names to make it possible to sequentially reproduce music contents in the order of the title names or artist names in accordance with the order on the contents list.
Among above-described portable audio reproduction apparatuses, there are some which, in case contents files are transferred from a personal computer, form a contents management file that entirely manages the title names, artist names, or file names of the respective contents files, and display the list of the contents files using the contents management file.
In case an audio reproduction apparatus can utilize the contents management file, a contents list can be easily formed.
However, the configuration or management format of the contents management file is variously different depending on the manufacturer, kind, etc. of portable audio reproduction apparatuses. Accordingly, actually, audio reproduction apparatuses are not able to utilize the contents management file.
That is, in order to form a contents list, it is necessary for an audio reproduction apparatus to find out what kinds of contents files are stored in a connected storage medium.
As a method to search for files in a storage medium, there has been suggested an information reproduction display apparatus that forms a management table for files which are distributed to folders of the hierarchical structure to be recorded in a recording medium, and displays the file names for the respective folders (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-30116 [FIG. 4]).